Chapter 2 – Larger than Life

MIKE

I woke this morning to the most beautiful girl in the realm, made sweet passionate love to her, went down to the training grounds, worked out, showered, and then headed up to my office.

The day was starting out like it always should. Fan-frickin-tastic. What more could I ask for?

Aside from the usual patrol issues, a rogue here or there encroaching on the capital territory, and the day-to-day business activities, I was knee-deep in plans for Tala’s crowning ceremony. It was only five days away and details needed to be finalized.

Thankfully Jonda and my mother had most of it handled. Tala was nearing her due date, so my girl and mother stepped in to help plan the second most important day in the New Moon Kingdom.

I had hired Rhett and his enforcers as extra security for the pre-party ball and the actual ceremony. You couldn’t be too cautious when it came to crowning a future Queen. Her security and the Kings, of course, took priority over everything else.

The knock on my open door had me looking up, “Come in, Rogue.” I wave him forward with my hand as I glance back down at the security plans, I was finalizing. I’m sure I would be going over them again a few times before guests began to arrive on Friday and certainly for Saturdays crowning.

“Mike, do you have the schedule for this weekend? For whatever reason, it wasn’t sent to my messages.” I stopped what I was doing to look up at Rogue with a frown.

“It was sent to you,” I tell him, knowing it was because I personally sent it to him. I open my computer to find the message and send it to him again. “Check your messages now. I just resent it. But I will have a paper copy made up for you anyway.”

Rogue was offered the position of our Delta but declined because he felt his duty was to protect Kellen’s most precious gift. Tala. And he took his job seriously he didn’t leave that she-wolf's side for a second unless Kellen was there. I swear to the goddess the man never slept either.

Personally, I think he passed up the opportunity to lead our Elite Guards because of his speech impediment. Which isn’t that bad, considering he couldn’t speak before.

When Kellen went missing earlier in the year, he was thrown into some kind of fighting slavery ring on the other side of the realm. That’s where he found his mate, Tala. It’s also where he found Rogue. His real name is Fergus, but Kellen couldn’t let go of the name they gave him in Bhakhil, plus he was an actual rogue at the time. So naturally, I called him Rogue too.

When Kellen met Rogue; Rogue's tongue had already been severed which rendered him mute. When he got here, to New Moon, Mathias did something to him. We’re still not sure of the full details. Either way, whatever he did, he managed to partially grow part of Rogue's tongue back and like fucking magic the dude could speak again.

I wasn’t alien to the healing abilities of Mathias and Lamia. A long time ago when were, gosh, about fourteen, fifteen. I fell from a tree and impaled myself on a large branch. I thought I was a goner until Lamia bit me and then gave me her blood. Healing the wounds that should have killed me.

Safe to say I lived to see the next day. I think it was after that I developed a major crush on Lamia, thought I was in love with her up until the day I met my love, Jonda.

“I’ll liaise with Tyron and Damon. Damon has added extra cameras and I will coordinate with Tyron. Who will also be on duty to protect Tala with me”

“Perfect,” I reply knowing Rogue is more than capable of handling things. Plus, it’s one less thing I need to do. “Rhett should be arriving from the Kodiak Kingdom tomorrow sometime; he will have a team of enforcers coming in from MacTire. They will set up base at the holding cells.” I set a mental reminder to mind-link Rhett to double-check when he should be arriving, as well as ask him to send his final list of names of his Enforcers.

I look at my watch when my stomach growls, noticing it is a little past lunchtime, but if I hurry there would still be food down in the pack dining hall.

“Hi, Beta Mike.”, “Good afternoon, Beta.”, “Hi handsome,” I smile at the ladies that greet me as I walk by.

“Beta Mike, anything I can do for you?” One female brushes her fingers up my bicep as I walk by. I casually remove her hand and step away.

“Carrie, you know I’m no longer available. Officially off the market ladies!” I say offering a polite smile and raising my tone with the last sentence, making sure they can all hear. I move on to grab a plate and fill it with food.

Six months ago, I would have happily entertained these females' advances. I’m male enough to admit I have had my fair share of females and then some. That was up until the moment I laid eyes on Jonda. She wasn’t my mate, but she would be my chosen mate.

I fell in love with her the second her electric hazel eyes connected with mine. Any other female in my life or my past faded into the background. She has been the only one I see and ever will see. I was in love, and I couldn’t wait to make it permanent.

I had dreams of us starting a family, living here in New Moon, and carrying on the legacy of my father's name. With Jonda by my side as my chosen mate.

I knew some thought I was crazy wanting to take a chosen mate. Especially one who couldn’t shift or connect with her wolf. My parents, as much as they loved Jonda and would support me in my decision no matter what; had voiced their concerns repeatedly. Like clockwork, every week my mother would ask me if I was sure I wanted to take a chosen mate.

Countless females, warriors, and Omegas have voiced, not very quietly, that they would make a better-chosen mate for the Royal Beta. I didn’t care though. Jonda was it for me. And I was it for her.

I knew Jonda loved me just as much as I loved her. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t give up the prospect of finding her mate and ending her curse. To find her mate would mean her wolf could emerge. She would be able to shift - connect with her spirit animal. However, finding that mate was like finding a needle in a haystack, If such a person even existed. And who’s to say she would even recognize said mate without her wolf?

Seriously, neither of us expected a wolf-less shifter to pop up and say, ‘here I am’. And I didn’t expect to find my mate. I didn’t want to and if I did, I would reject her for Jonda - my love.

After eating, I traipsed back toward the offices and found Kellen pouring over documents.

“What's up, man?” I casually stroll in, plopping down in one of the chairs across from the large oak desk.

He glances up for a brief moment before his eyes cast down examining whatever paperwork he was looking at when I walked in. “Same ole same ole.” He mutters. I let him finish what he is reading and when he finishes, he gives me his attention by sitting back and folding his hands behind his head.

Kellen was always a big guy, but after coming back from Bhakhil, he had put on a ton of muscle and bulked just as big as me. I had always been bulkier and an inch or so shorter than Kellen. The dude was just monstrous now.

“You ready for Friday and Saturday?” He shakes his head at my question, running his hands through his hair. “How’s Tala doing? You know you’re cutting it short, having the ceremony so close to her due date.”

I had said it before, and I was saying it again. I thought it was crazy to have Tala’s coronation only weeks away from her due date. But hey it was his dog and pony show, I was here to make sure it happened, and all went smoothly for them both.

“Don’t I know it.” He sighed. “I didn’t want to hold it after the pup was born though. I want to spend as much time with my mate and pup as possible and take some of the burdens off her.”

I nod in agreement, even though I think they should have held it much sooner than this. Kellen had stated he wanted Tala to get used to New Moon and for the people to get to know who their Queen was going to be.

Tala fit in around here like a hand-to-glove from the first day she stepped foot in the Kingdom. Like she already belonged. I get that it was all new and exciting, vastly different from her homeland. I shudder at the thought of my time in Bhakhil. The nasty heat and awful seafood I ate on our journey there.

At least I wasn’t as sick as a wolf, like Tobias on the boats. But the smell of fish… Ugh just thinking about it made me want to hurl. It wasn’t like the salmon or white fish we had in the pack dining room. That I could stand.

Jonda loved seafood and I swear I became a shade greener every time she prepared boiled crab or lobster. She would always cook me a steak and call it surf and turf. Except there was no way I was eating the surf.

“Well, everything is set and finalized. Well for today. I will go over everything on Thursday and again on Friday morning. Rhett should be coming in on… Hold on let mind-link him.”

I pause our conversation to establish a mental connection with Rhett. The beauty of being the Queen's Knight is that we can all mind-link over great distances, even if we are not in the same pack.

*Rhett?* I reach out feeling us connect, *When and what time are you arriving in New Moon?*

*Already on the way. Should be there by tomorrow evening. Hunji and Morgan followed behind So they should arrive Thursday night or Friday morning.*

*You guys get any answers?* I ask of the two prisoners they apprehended a month ago when the Clan Mansion was attacked.

*No, one of them died and the other… still holding out. These fuckers are willful, I’ll give ‘em that.*

*Alright drive safe, I know the pass can be icy. I have a conference room in the holding cell building for you and your team to set up in.*

*Perfect, I’ll let them know to head straight there.*

I cut the link once I have my answer. “Rhett should be here tomorrow,” I tell Kellen, even though he could have linked into our conversation.

“Fancy going for a drink this evening? Nothing wild,” I add when I see the look on his face like the idea of leaving his mate was unheard of.

“I can’t,” He starts to explain his excuse.

I didn’t get it; sure, I was besotted with Jonda, but I still needed me time. Just like she did. But Kellen and Tala - they were tied at the hip. Ever since he came back, I felt like I had lost my best friend to his mate. There was no more boy's time, no more drinking. Well for him. And really, there was no more us time.

“Come on dude, you always come up with an excuse!” I know I’m whining, but heck. Where had my friend gone?

“Mike, we’re in charge now. We don’t get to play bachelor anymore.” He air quotes, spinning in his chair. “My wolf won’t let me be away from Tala for too long anyway. Not right now.” He says once he spins in a full circle and faces me again.

I huff in annoyance. Everyone I knew was, or at least my closest friends were, all mated now. That meant they had forgotten what fun was. If I wanted to spend time with my best friend, it always had to be with our females too.

Jonda and Tala never had a problem with it, of course. But hey, thier half-sisters and they were still enjoying getting to know one another. Though they couldn’t have two very different personalities.

At least I know Jonda is up for a good time and a few drinks. Maybe Rogue would want to down a few with me. I think it over for a moment.

As much as I love Jonda, sometimes I just needed time with the boys. Besides, things had been weird between us since she came back from the Kodiak Kingdom.

Last month she went up there, just after they had been attacked. She was hoping to get answers from Morgan, the witch Hunji brought back from Andora. Who also happened to be Finnegan Artos’ sister and King Mathias’ half-sister.

She was hoping Morgan would be able to break her curse, which was put on her before she was even born, by Morgan's mother. Unfortunately, she couldn’t undo what her mother had done. The only way to break it was to meet her fated mate.

Don’t get me wrong, things are great between us. Yet, something was off and different about her once she came home. Maybe it was disappointment that her curse couldn’t be broken. Or maybe it was something else. We had been together for six months now, and if there was something that was truly bothering her, I knew she would come to me in her own time.  

At least I hoped she would.

“Yeah okay,” I say standing up with a tone of disappointment. “Let me know if you change your mind, I’ll be in my office for a few, then I’m going to run a check on the additional security cameras Damon set up.”

“Hey, Mike.” Kellen's voice reaches me as I’m about to walk through the doorway,

“Yeah?” I turn my head over my shoulder.

“I appreciate everything you are doing - do. I hope you know that.”

I offer him a broad smile and a wink “I know you love me, bro. Even if your balls are in a vice grip by Tala’s hands.” And walk out with a chuckle and the pep still in my step.

Except, when I get to my office my father is sitting there, looking serious and all business-like. I didn’t need another lecture from him today. Not today. I had everything handled and on schedule. All I needed him to do was to follow orders and keep the patrol on task Friday and Saturday. We couldn’t afford any mistakes.

“Son,” He says with a stern voice. A tone only reserved for when I have disappointed him.

I rack my brains for a moment thinking if there was anything for him to be disappointed about. I come up with nothing.

“Father,” I reply in the same tone, knowing he’s going to think I’m mocking him.

“Your mother just informed me, that while she and Jonda were talking; Jonda claims you guys will be completing your mating after the coronation?”

Double shit.

I feel my wolf stir. Duke slinks into the back of my mind. He always was a coward when it came to our father, more so with our mom. Damn goody-two-shoes wolf when it came to our parents.